Soul Ascension!

Inside the Chunin Ninja Exams venue,

Rock Lee, panting heavily, looked at the indestructible sand ball in front of him, feeling a pang of sadness and helplessness.

He had already deactivated his Eight Gates state, and his Reverse Lotus he was only halfway through, was interrupted by the opponent's strong defense. Even if he had the stamina to do it again, he would not be able to deal with sand of this density.

Although he could barely open the Five Gates of the Gate of Limit, he could only maintain it for a few breaths.

He can't even hold out for long in his fourth-gauntlet state, and with several muscle ruptures, his opponents can slowly wear him down, leaving him with no hope of a comeback.

"Teacher Might Guy, I..." Rock Lee raised his head with difficulty.

Even if defeat was inevitable, he still didn't want to give up immediately; he was determined to fight to the very last moment!

But something unexpected happened.

Fireworks lit up the sky, the cheers from the stands faded, and only the sounds of battle filled the air...

Swish, swish, swish!

While Rock Lee was somewhat at a loss,

Three figures suddenly appeared beside Gaara's sand ball; it was Baki, the Jonin the Sunagakure Ninja Village team, along with Temari and Kankuro.

The rules aren't very clear, so if a teammate interferes with the game without permission, will they be penalized with a loss...?

"Mr. Baki, what's going on?"

Temari asked somewhat nervously, "Why did the operation start suddenly? Shouldn't we wait for others to make the first move?"

"I don't know why Lord Kazekage made this decision!" Baki's expression turned slightly gloomy.

"But there's nothing we can do. We're trapped and have to start ahead of schedule. We can only pray that Gaara is quick, otherwise Konoha will launch their attack in time, and we won't be able to hold out for long!"

Whoosh!

Rock Lee was staring blankly at the three Sunagakure members and the ball Shiranui Genma suddenly appeared in front of him, his face serious. He looked at Baki and said in a low voice:

"Among the enemies who have attacked Konoha, isn't Sunagakure one of them? By so blatantly violating the alliance agreement, are you trying to directly provoke a war?"

Baki forced himself to calm down, and smiled without fear:

"Maybe so. Anyway, life is tough for us in Sunagakure. Even if things get worse, how much worse can it get? Heh..."

"Tch." Genma spat out the Senbon in his mouth and quickly shouted to Rock Lee:

"Sorry, the Chunin Ninja Exams are over. You can't participate in this battle, so you'd better find somewhere to hide!"

Rock Lee: "..."

Seeing the situation suddenly change, the Genin on the rest platform were somewhat at a loss, while the Jonin were calmly talking.

"I didn't expect that an enemy would actually come and attack our Konoha."

Asuma took a deep drag on his cigarette, tossed the butt aside, and stomped it out. "The Sunagakure side is basically confirmed to be the rebels. What's the next move?"

"War? Since we've run into this, let's hurry and go support the stands!"

Sasuke, his bloodshot eyes gleaming with excitement, looked in another direction. "The enemy has begun their attack; it's time for us ninjas to protect the village..."

"That's right! Let's charge together and take down all the enemies!"

Naruto, unusually, agreed with Sasuke's opinion and excitedly rolled up his sleeves.

"Everyone, please be quiet."

Sakura, who had just finished fighting, remained very calm and, after careful observation, earnestly said:

"We're just Genin. Judging from the village's response, they're clearly well-prepared. The Jonin must have exchanged intelligence beforehand. If we rashly join the battle, we'll only cause them trouble."

"And there are ninjas from other villages here as well." Sakura looked at Hozuki Suigetsu and the others:

"As the host, in case of an accident, we must at least ensure the safety of our guests. Being together allows us to handle various situations."

"You have a good student, Kakashi," Asuma praised.

"With this kind of thinking and judgment alone, becoming Chunin is absolutely no problem."

Kakashi, who was closely watching the situation on the field, saw Might Guy rush to Rock Lee's side to support Genma and verbally agreed:

"Yes, that's why I chose Sakura to lead the team."

"However, this time the situation is a little different. Everyone get ready, split into two teams based on complementary abilities, and we'll head to the stands immediately."

Asuma and Sakura were stunned. "Why?"

"As expected, that guy named Gaara is Jinchuriki from Sunagakure, and the enemy is about to use the power of Tailed Beast..."

Kakashi lifted his Forehead Protector, and the Three-Tomoe slowly rotated.

"I have to go into battle, and if the Tailed Beast are released, every move they make will cause devastating damage."

Based on our usual drills, the few of us can probably only block one direction, so the risk at the rest area is no less than that at the spectator stands.

"But there's another tricky problem over there. There are too many spectators. If there are still enemies... no, there are definitely still enemies mixed in with the crowd, pretending to be under Genjutsu to launch a sneak attack from behind."

"Having the Genin maintain their formation while providing reinforcements will alleviate the pressure of manpower shortage and also prevent them from being affected by the Tailed Beast."

"Alright, let's get going!" Naruto shouted.

"Get serious." Kakashi looked over expressionlessly.

"Reckless behavior in the stands is no joke; a single misstep could cause numerous deaths and injuries, a responsibility no one can bear."

After a brief moment of thought, he quickly issued the order:

"Team 7 and Neji, come with me. Sakura will be in charge. You guys have to obey her orders!"

"Asuma, I'm leaving this to you. Retreat to a safe area outside the venue as soon as possible, and then look for an opportunity to provide support."

"Clear!"

The ninjas on the rest platform quickly dispersed, Neji activated his Byakugan to lead Team Kakashi to support the stands.

Asuma led Shikamaru, Shino, and the others away, escorting three Kirigakure Genin under Hinata's Byakugan surveillance.

The atmosphere inside the Heavenly Citadel was slightly tense.

In the ensuing silence, everyone remained awkwardly quiet, afraid of saying something inappropriate and incurring the Fifth Hokage's wrath later.

The sun was shining brightly; as soon as I opened my eyes, it seemed like I could see blue skies and white clouds.

The scenery was picturesque, but a layer of purple film ruined the atmosphere, which was quite unpleasant.

Takeda Kenta looked around somewhat blankly, then quickly fixed his gaze on a figure not far ahead.

He remembered being stabbed in a vital spot during a battle with three teams of elite Sunagakure; he certainly wouldn't survive. So, what was his current condition...?

"Impure World Reincarnation? I'm a resurrected dead person?"

Fearing he might not understand the situation, Orochimaru very kindly sent him a lot of information, telling him that they should deal with the person in front of him immediately— the Hokage of Konoha!

As for more details, he will discover them as "surprises" as he grows up.

"Lord Hokage?"

Before Takeda Kenta could react, he suddenly felt himself lose control of his body.

His mind was extremely clear, and he remembered his signature moves vividly, as if he could act without any hesitation.

"Not the Third Lord!"

He stared in astonishment at the young man dressed in the Hokage robes and carrying a straw hat.

That face... looked somewhat unfamiliar, yet it conveyed an unusual sense of familiarity.

Because it's like looking at your own mutated clone.

The same purple hair, the proportions of their features stirred the deepest memories in his soul, "You are...?"

"My name is Takeda Shuichi, and I am the Fifth Hokage of Konoha."

Shuichi's face was filled with speechlessness. "It's been over 20 years since you passed away, Father."

He was already deceased when he transmigrated, so he didn't have any particular feelings about it.

The original owner's soul had completely vanished, leaving only a few memories, so naturally no emotional fluctuations would occur.

"You... you're actually Shuichi!!!"

Takeda Kenta's hands trembled; he was so shocked he couldn't speak. "You actually became the village's Hokage?!"

This sudden emotional fluctuation was so intense that it even momentarily interfered with Orochimaru's control over his body.

In a corner, a pair of snake-like eyes flashed with surprise and astonishment.

That brief fluctuation of soul energy did not escape his notice as the controller.

If it were a character of the highest rank, that would be one thing; it could be considered an accident.

However, it's utterly absurd that a Special Jonin, operating alone with the aid of improved talismans, could directly shake control.

Could it be that the Takeda Family truly possesses something special?

Could he possibly be related to the Sage of Six Paths?

"Am I dreaming?" Takeda Kenta asked in disbelief.

To think that his son had become the Kage of Konoha at such a young age—this world was simply too fantastical. Even in his most beautiful dreams, nothing like this had ever happened.

Has the village completely fallen into ruin...?

Ding-a-ling!

Takeda Kenta wasn't given a chance to voice this troubling question.

With a slight exertion of force, Orochimaru 'Impure World Reincarnation Body immediately began to move.

Water Release: Water Bullet!

Takeda Kenta quickly Hand Seals.

He felt his chakra was stronger than ever before, and in the blink of an eye, he unleashed several large water spheres, each half the height of a person.

"Be careful, I might lose control..."

Whoosh whoosh--

Faced with the rapid onslaught of water spheres, Shuichi seemed to merely shift his body slightly, dodging left and right, easily brushing past all the attacks.

Even with the Water Release- based tracking effect, they still couldn't reach him.

Swish!

Takeda Kenta drew his long sword and charged forward in a perfectly standard fighting stance.

Crouching, dashing, slashing, changing moves... there's not a single superfluous attack motion.

A series of ruthless moves, each aimed at vital points, clearly demonstrated his considerable skill back then.

Yeah, they're probably comparable to those high-level extras who were slapped to death by Shuichi more than 10 years ago!

Ding ding dong...

Shuichi remained calm, conjuring up her signature weapon, the Roaring Sword, from who-knows-where, and began exchanging blows with her father.

He was pondering how to resolve the Impure World Reincarnation.

Yin-Yang Release could be used to handle it, but in such a public setting, it's inevitable that there might be Akatsuki Organization's hidden agents secretly observing.

If the intelligence were leaked, causing enemies on all sides to be extremely wary and hide their faces, it would only create more trouble.

"I'll find a chance to block their view before I make my move," Shuichi thought to himself.

The scene of the Fifth Hokage beating up his father is quite amusing, but his family members look a little awkward.

Because the other party had given him a chance to be reborn, Shuichi didn't beat Takeda Kenta to a pulp. To those who didn't know the truth, it seemed like the two were evenly matched!

Bite!

After a fierce exchange of blows, the two figures quickly separated.

Seeing that Shuichi, still wearing his Hokage Robe, remained perfectly dressed and had his hair in perfect order even after fighting him with all his might, Takeda Kenta knew that his son's strength far surpassed his own.

"I'm sorry, Shuichi. I wasn't a good father. I failed to protect your mother and made you grow up lonely!"

During the brief moment apart, Takeda Kenta's face was filled with self-reproach, "Seeing your achievements now, I am so happy..."

"Oh no!"

His expression suddenly changed, and he shouted loudly, firmly attracting the attention of the onlookers.

Takeda Kenta held his swords in both hands, half-crouched on one leg, his chakra flowing rapidly within him, his aura gradually rising.

He has the demeanor of a top-tier expert.

"Watch out!" he cried out.

"I'm about to unleash my ultimate, desperate move— Purple Aurora! This body is immune to injuries, I must get out of there quickly!"

Shuichi: "..."

Mei Terumi, Mizukage, Elephant Squad Anbu, Haku: "..."

Call out!

Takeda Kenta sprang into action instantly, moving with lightning speed, and arrived beside Shuichi in the blink of an eye.

With his wrist twisted, he unleashed a diagonally upward Iaido Slash from an odd angle—bang!

After the dust and smoke from the shockwave cleared, Takeda Kenta stared in astonishment at his hands.

Shuichi easily grabbed the incredibly sharp spine of the sword, while he himself was completely unable to move.

Such a powerful trump card even allowed him to kill two Jonin, yet now he was easily defeated by his son, demonstrating an immeasurable difference in strength between them.

"You've become this strong, that's amazing!"

Takeda Kenta's eyes reddened. "You must have had a hard time after we died..."

"Well, it's not bad," Shuichi replied seriously.

He used a stun technique to immobilize Takeda Kenta, then stabbed back with a swift strike, Yang Release Chakra into his body. He should be able to suppress and seal him in no time; the plan was virtually flawless.

"Now I'm Hokage, and I'm married to Uncle Yūhi's daughter, with three children..."

Shuichi said slowly, simultaneously twisting his longsword in his hand, "You don't need to worry about me anymore."

"Very good!"

Takeda Kenta shed two hot tears, "This is wonderful. Seeing you as you are now, I have nothing left to regret..."

Bass--

The light flashed, Shuichi, who was about to make a move, froze.

Orochimaru also sensed that the Edo Tensei Body had completely lost control!

Takeda Kenta's body emitted a white light and gradually melted away. Starting from his face, dust and debris continuously peeled off automatically, leaving only a pile of unidentified residue in place.

"..."

Shuichi was proficient in Yin-Yang Release, could see that his soul, with a benevolent smile, floated into the sky—a true ascension of the soul.

No matter who tries to use the Impure World Reincarnation technique again, they will likely fail!

"This is truly astonishing; I never imagined that the Impure World Reincarnation technique had such a secret..."

Orochimaru licked his lips excitedly; this gain alone made the entire operation worthwhile!

"So what exciting things will happen in the next battle...?"

The Summoning Jutsu Impure World Reincarnation Technique!

Within the Four Violet Flames Formation, Rasa's Edo Tensei Body once again clasped his hands together.

With a few soft rumbling sounds, three coffins rose from the ground one after another.

With a snap, the wooden plank opened, and three figures stepped out one after another.

For the Elephant Squad, the scene before them was completely familiar.

The First Hokage with black hair and red armor, the Second Hokage with white hair and blue armor, and now the newly added... the Third Hokage with an aged face and wearing a black turban.